Police in western Sydney are investigating whether the fatal drive-by shooting of 40-year-old Joshua MacDonald in Merrylands West on Wednesday was a tragic case of mistaken identity, marking the city’s second fatal shooting incident in less than 48 hours following the killing of university student Marco Tapia.
New South Wales police launched a homicide investigation after a daylight ambush on Bruce Street in Merrylands West. Emergency services rushed to the scene at about 3:15 pm on Wednesday, where Joshua MacDonald had been gunned down in a driveway after arriving with two young children in a ute. Detectives revealed that the victim, who sustained fatal gunshot wounds, had no known criminal history or ties to organised crime.
The brazen attack occurred just a day after a similar home invasion in Sydney’s southwest claimed an innocent life. Investigators are examining whether the ongoing underground conflicts in the city played a role in both rapid-fire homicides.
CCTV Footage Captures Ninety-Minute Stakeout on Bruce Street
New CCTV footage uncovered by investigators revealed the killers waited in a side street for over an hour before the ambush. The recording shows a dark Audi sitting off Bruce Street for approximately 90 minutes until MacDonald pulled into the driveway.
The vehicle then swept into Bruce Street, where gunmen fired six to eight shots from what appeared to be two firearms. MacDonald was struck in the head by a volley of bullets and died at the scene instantly. Police are actively searching for the dark-coloured Audi sedan, which was captured fleeing the area westbound on Bruce Street.
Superintendent Simon Glasser addressed reporters regarding the property where the shooting took place, noting that while the residents are very well known to police and linked to organised crime, the victim was likely only a business associate.
“The victim has no links that we are aware of to organised crime, however he has associated with people that reside at this address.”
Det Supt Simon Glasser, New South Wales Police
Police confirmed that two young children were inside the home when the shots rang out, having likely just been picked up from school along with the victim.
Echoes of the Glen Alpine Killing and Sydney Underworld Feuds
Wednesday’s shooting follows a fatal home invasion in Glen Alpine near Campbelltown just a day earlier. At approximately 3:40 am on Tuesday, multiple attackers forced their way into a two-storey home and shot 23-year-old Marco Tapia dead in his bed as his family slept. Tapia had no criminal record aside from a traffic offense, prompting authorities to treat his death as a case of mistaken identity at the hands of organised crime.
New South Wales Police Commissioner Mal Lanyon condemned the initial attack, stating that the fact that what appears to be an innocent life was taken is unacceptable.
Investigators are reviewing whether these incidents connect to a broader, violent rivalry across Sydney involving the Alameddine crime family and an emerging network known as the Coconut Cartel embroiled in a feud. Following the Glen Alpine attack, an exiled figure associated with the Coconut Cartel posted online claiming the gunmen had targeted the wrong address before returning later to offer a public tribute.
Political Clashes Erupt Over Gun Violence and Community Safety
The back-to-back killings have intensified political pressure on the state government regarding public safety and the proliferation of illegal firearms. Opposition figures argued that gangland violence has spiraled out of control with innocent people in the firing line.
Opposition Leader Kellie Sloane criticized the administration’s current approach, pointing to recent tragedies including the kidnapping and murder of Sydney grandfather Chris Baghsarian earlier in the year. Shadow police minister Anthony Roberts proposed harsher penalties, including a 12-year minimum sentence for individuals involved in recruiting guns-for-hire amid a total of 51 shootings recorded across Sydney this year.
In response, Police Minister Yasmin Catley pushed back against the criticism, challenging the opposition’s stance on the state’s gun buyback scheme. Meanwhile, Greens leader Sue Higginson emphasized that this instant and irreversible act of gun violence highlights the ongoing dangers posed by accessible firearms within the community.
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